diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php b/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
index 7c22f57caf..e201b82b8c 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ function wp_dashboard_setup() {
 	}
 
 	if ( 'POST' == $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] && isset($_POST['widget_id']) ) {
+		check_admin_referer( 'edit-dashboard-widget_' . $_POST['widget_id'] );
 		ob_start(); // hack - but the same hack wp-admin/widgets.php uses
 		wp_dashboard_trigger_widget_control( $_POST['widget_id'] );
 		ob_end_clean();
@@ -182,6 +183,7 @@ function wp_add_dashboard_widget( $widget_id, $widget_name, $callback, $control_
 function _wp_dashboard_control_callback( $dashboard, $meta_box ) {
 	echo '<form action="" method="post" class="dashboard-widget-control-form">';
 	wp_dashboard_trigger_widget_control( $meta_box['id'] );
+	wp_nonce_field( 'edit-dashboard-widget_' . $meta_box['id'] );
 	echo '<input type="hidden" name="widget_id" value="' . esc_attr($meta_box['id']) . '" />';
 	submit_button( __('Submit') );
 	echo '</form>';